How To Conquer The Fear Of Falling While Climbing (for beginner climber)

Many beginners have a fear of falling while climbing. Fear is a survival instinct that people develop when they believe they are in danger. it helps us to stay alive, but it can also prevent us from doing things that we enjoy. We have some tips that can help you to overcome your fear of climbing so you can join in with others and have a good time doing it.

Understand your fear

Start by analyzing your fear. What are you afraid of, is it the unknown? If you’ve never rock climbed before then you need to identify what specifically you are afraid of. Falling is a broad category. What are the thoughts that go through your mind? By narrowing down the things that make you afraid you can address them one by one so you can overcome each concern. For example, if you are afraid the rope will break, test the ropes. If you doubt your skill, practice in safe low-challenge situations. Build up from a level of safety to bigger challenges and tackle your fears one by one.

Know the difference between fear and excitement

Climbing causes an adrenaline rush for most climbers. It’s an exhilarating feeling and there are dangers that cannot be denied. Everyone feels this rush. Make sure that you’re not confusing it with genuine fear that causes you to feel paralyzed. Perhaps it is a combination of the two. Try to separate the two in your mind.

Look at the facts and not the emotions

Your brain may be telling you that climbing is dangerous and you could fall and die. Every climber knows there are risks but that is why they train for all possible outcomes. The facts are that if you know what you’re doing, the odds are against a deadly fall. Safety ropes are used for a reason and the reason is to catch you in the event of a fall. Try looking at the facts without an emotional attachment. If you have all of the necessary safety measures in place and you have the skills needed for the difficulty of the climb the odds are in favor that you will not fall, and if you do, you won’t die.

Learn to trust

When you’re climbing with a group of professional climbers, you must learn to trust one another. Adopt the mindset that you have a job to do and if you do it well, everyone will have a great time and a successful climb. Overcoming your fear of falling is easier when your focus is more on doing your part the what ifs. It is imperative to be alert and watchful as this is a part of responsible climbing, but you don’t have to be fearful or give into emotional responses. You have the ability to power through them and focus on the things that are important. These are the bonds of trust between you and the other members of the climbing party. You’re a team and you must learn to trust them and to trust yourself.

In conclusion

The final tip for overcoming a fear of falling when you’re a beginning rock climber is to just do it. You’ve put in the time and effort to get to this point. You know the basics and you’re ready to tackle new challenges in small doses. It’s time to get out there and enjoy every climb by applying your current skills and learning new ones.